The present invention relates to cooking appliances, particularly pyrolytic self-cleaning gas ovens. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for cleaning a pyrolytic gas oven without using a broil element or burner.
During roasting, cooking, and baking the insides of an oven become soiled in various ways. Residues from cooked food and condensation of vapor components stick to the oven walls of the cooking cavity, especially towards the bottom of the cooking cavity.
Typically a pyrolytic gas self-cleaning oven utilizes a broil burner or element located near the top of the cooking cavity which is turned on fully during the first stage of the self-cleaning process to bake the cooking soil, grease, and other residue to the walls of the oven cavity. Once the residue has been baked onto the oven walls and bottom, the bake burner is turned on to raise the temperature of the oven to a self-cleaning temperature. Because the soil and residue sticking to the walls and bottom of the oven are subjected to a thermal cracking process by the long-lasting heating at approximately 825.degree. F. and above during the second stage, the increase in temperature does not create excessive amounts of smoke. Instead, the residues are converted into decomposition products, such as water, short-chained hydrocarbons, aeromatics, and ashes. The gaseous products can be carried out of the oven by the ventilation system during the self-cleaning, and the remaining residue can be simply removed from the stove in the form of ashes.
Use of a separate broil burner or element towards the top of the cooking cavity adds considerably to the cost of the product. Unfortunately, consumers who do not broil and prefer a self-cleaning oven must still pay the premium for the second burner system which is normally required for an effective self-cleaning process to maintain smoke at acceptable levels. In the case of consumers who broil, use of a broil burner or element during the first stage of the self-cleaning process increases the temperature to which door lock mechanisms and other components are subjected. Prior art attempts to self-clean without a broil element have been unsuccessful. Because most of the cooking residues collect towards the bottom of the oven near the bake burner, turning on the bake burner fully during the first stage creates excessive smoke. For these reasons, there is a need for a device and method for performing a self-cleaning process which maintains smoke at acceptable levels without the use of an additional broil element or burner.
A general object of the present invention is the provision of an improved pyrolytic self-cleaning gas oven.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a method for effectively cleaning an oven cavity without the use of a separate broil element or burner.
A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a method for cleaning an oven cavity which is simple, effective, and economical.
These as well as other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification and claims.